Stuc a' Chroin and Ben Vorich

Tuesday, 15 March 2016

The drive to Comrie and then down Glen Artney was all pleasure on this perfect March morning. What a day to be setting out for the hills.

Getting ready. Click to enlarge all the photos.

A short walk back up the road from the car park to Dalchruin brought us beside the lovely Water of Ruchill and, fortunately, a bridge over it. After the ruin of Dalclathick Lodge the atv track became a quagmire so we took to the massive tussocks to head for our first Top of the day, Sron na Maoile (618m).

Dalchruin

Tussocks and looking towards Stuc na Cabaig (Graham Top)

It was hard going through this lot but as always, things improved. We heard what we thought was an atv in the distance but discovered, moments later, a shallow pool with frogs leaping into it as though on springs croaking their little hearts out. Loads more joined the chorus from winter bleached grasses.

Onwards and upwards, on easier terrain now, and the view we had been waiting for.

Stuc a' Chroin and Ben Vorlich

Deep hags separated us from Sron na Maoile but we found a way through remarkably easily. We were soon at the small cairn, pushing on quickly to cross the intervening summit of Sron nam Broighleag and so to the second Graham Top, Stuc na Cabaig. Apparently this Top may be the Graham, an unratified survey showing it to be 708m, some 2m higher than Beinn Dearg. We were therefore careful to stand on its summit!

It was difficult not to keep looking back

The ridge ahead to Beinn Dearg looked interesting, so off we set full of the joys of spring.

Beinn Dearg in the distance

In Knoydart you'd be thinking that some hard work was ahead, but here the ups and downs were gentle and the three subsiduary summits came and went with relative ease. The whole way was a delight, descending and ascending snow patches just for the fun of it.

On our way to Beinn Dearg

Beinn Dearg

It's possible from here to include another Graham, Mor Bheinn, but this involves climbing a deer fence which we didn't fancy at all, so we turned and dropped down into Coire Innein to find a spot for lunch.

Looking back to Stuc na Cabaig, centre

We were a hungry pair like the deer below us. The name Glen Artney may be from Gleann-ard an-fheard meaning the high glen of the deer.

We came down on a golden afternoon to the sound of a curlew and glimpes of the Water of Ruchill. Crossing the Allt Coire Choire at the Ath na Meine ford brought us back to Dalclathick for a cup of tea and a Stoats Oat bar.

Uninhabited Dalclathick Lodge

Sheets of snowdrops lay below a deserted steading. We were reluctant to leave. But Mor Mheinn has still to be explored and climbed so it won't be long before we are back in this lovely glen.

I have a feeling that all the less well known Grahams will be pathless and rough which we quite enjoy, although the odd path or sheep trod will be very welcome I'm sure. We must count the number of Grahams we've done of the original 224.